Spruce Grouse

The Canadian Spruce grouse is smaller than the Red grouse and it inhabits areas of boreal coniferous forests mostly pine and spruce. It can be found across Canada, Alaska and into North America.

The male spruce is grey in colour with black and white bars on his breast plummage and a black throat. He also has white spots on his cheeks, red fleshy combs above his eyes and a square grey and black tail with brown tips.

Spruce grouse are promiscuous and the males establish territories preferably under good canopy cover in which they display (strutting, tail fanning, jumping etc) to attract females. Clutch size is approx 5-8 eggs (incubation lasts 22-25 days).

The Spruce grouse predominantly feed upon conifer needles, but their diet also includes buds and catkins from spruce, larch, fir etc and seasonal berries and insects.

These grouse are a bit more difficult to breed in captivity, not a grouse for a beginner.